The Department of Defense (DoD) purchases a vast array of electronic and electrical devices that must be integrated into various platforms with many other devices and function without degraded performance (electromagnetic susceptibility), and conversely, must function without causing degradation of performance for other devices (electromagnetic emissions). Similarly, electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a commonly used term [...]
Why is RF filtering so important? Simply put, filters reduce the interference in the environment that affects the performance of the communication system, and reduce the interference caused by the communication system. The lack of RF filtering can affect the performance of the UAS in a number of ways: Communication range is reduced due to [...]
Like a locust super-swarm in Madagascar, similar to a scene in BBC America’s “Planet Earth II” (image 1), commercial and government programs alike are aiming to employ “swarms” of UAV’s in domestic and overseas operations2. This includes counter-UAS systems, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, near-space and hurricane hunting drones. Swarms of UAVs can be controlled through autonomous [...]
Ball grid array (BGA) is a method of surface-mount packaging used for integrated circuits (ICs), whereby the entire bottom surface of the IC is covered with an array of small solder balls to permanently mount devices such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, RAM devices, etc. to printed circuit boards. BGAs support a higher pin count compared to [...]
Did you know that NuWaves Engineering has been taking on some new and exciting RF Design Service projects lately, expanding NuWaves’ experience and expertise into new and diverse industries? Over the past few months, NuWaves has kicked-off a number of projects partnering with customers that serve diverse industries such as medical, public safety, and the [...]
NuWaves recently finished development on a high-powered triplexer to support GPS-III communication services. NuWaves’ triplexer is a unique and advanced piece of hardware that serves a specific purpose in satellite communications. GPS operating frequencies have the unfortunate fate of residing in a narrow range of frequencies that induce an effect known as multipaction. Multipaction is [...]
The continuing drive to improve the Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) of electronics becomes challenging with consumer-off-the-shelf (COTS) lumped element components since the designers are limited by the physical size of packaged components and limitations of assembly processes. Moreover, as spectrum congestion forces new systems to move higher in frequency, the performance of radio frequency [...]
The increasing availability of COTS RF modules and subsystem components has made it convenient to design and assemble a custom high-performance RF communications system from off-the-shelf parts. However, while availability and selection has increased, top-of-the-line performance is still expensive. Being familiar with each category of RF subsystem modules and the various roles these modules play [...]
Radio Frequency (RF) Filters are special circuits that allow a signal of interest to pass through while attenuating any undesired signals. And while there are a large number of different filter topologies, there are generally 4 filter responses, or shapes, when plotted in the frequency domain. These four shapes are: Low Pass High Pass Band [...]
An RF circuit that generates a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, is very sensitive to power supply noise. If not controlled, the power supply noise can significantly degrade the performance of the system. So, what are the sources of noise and how can they be addressed? The first potential source of noise is the power source. [...]
